ORDINANCE TARGETS PUPPY MILLS

Say you want a bichon frisé? Or a Devon rex? Or, the favorite since 2008, a labradoodle? If you call me, I’m going to thank you for contacting a shelter or rescue first, recommend you call a breed-specific rescue, and refer you to a responsible and knowledgeable breeder. Good breeders are worth their weight in gold. They take their work seriously, contribute to the betterment of their breed, and support the supply of purebred breeds we so need and cannot readily get through an animal shelter.

But this isn’t about breeders. And neither is the proposed ordinance to ban the sale of dogs, cats, puppies, kittens and rabbits by pet stores in the city of San Diego. What this ordinance is about is puppy mills and irresponsible breeding that perpetuate the tragedy of animal cruelty for material gain. If San Diego adopts this law, and I sincerely hope we do, we will be the 32nd city in North America to call the irresponsible breeding of dogs and cats unacceptable to our citizens. With this ordinance, we draw a line in the sand against puppy mills.

And that’s the problem. It’s just one line. But a very threatening one to some — especially breeders. No matter how often we say this ordinance will not and cannot restrict responsible breeders, they hear otherwise. We even put this exclusion directly in the ordinance language. And then there is the “slippery slope” phenomenon in which any regulation of free enterprise, even unethical ones, can portend the demise of independent commerce.

Add to that the fact that any law banning animal sales, even with the best intentions, is a crude tool. Yes, this will help the fight against puppy mills. But it won’t put those puppy mills, or unethical breeders, out of business. In fact, that’s the position of the pet industry, which feels that any legislation will simply increase unregulated Internet sales of these animals and thereby exacerbate the suffering of animals that are already hurting too much.

I get the argument, but I don’t agree. This ordinance won’t worsen the situation. It’s impossible. And here’s why: both the San Diego Humane Society (SDHS) and the county’s Department of Animal Services have all too frequently been called into pet stores on humane complaints. In fact, SDHS seized 117 animals from three stores in San Diego County last year alone. Even if there aren’t overt infractions, think about this — what responsible breeder would ever sell their puppies to someone sight unseen? That’s what happens when a supplier sells puppies or kittens through a third party, whether it’s a pet store or Craigslist. It’s often the same thing. Incidentally, we “sell” puppies and kittens, too. But, we call them “adoptions.” The fee covers about one-fifth or less of the cost to us and we always meet the “buyer” before we complete that transaction. And they meet us.

That’s why this ordinance won’t hurt the cause. But it draws an important line in the sand. It will help stop traffic from large brokers of puppy mills to supply stores that too often have proved to be unacceptable points of sale for puppies. Until there is a proven way to certify, inspect, and police commercial breeding facilities, these stores will continue to benefit from mass suffering.